Brown's first regular season clash against the Celtics team he called home for a decade played out against reports of a beef with his 2024 NBA title-winning partner Tatum.
The Boston Celtics beat Philadelphia 123-101 to replace the 76ers at the top of the NBA Eastern Conference as Jayson Tatum outshone his former teammate Jaylen Brown in a much-hyped showdown Tuesday.
Brown's first regular season clash against the Celtics team he called home for a decade played out against reports of a beef with his 2024 NBA title-winning partner Tatum.
The two men have exchanged cryptic public barbs, apparently disagreeing over Tatum's knowledge of -- or role in -- Brown's shock trade this summer to the Sixers.
Tatum greeted Brown moments before tip-off but was seemingly blanked, and the game began in feisty fashion, with a fired-up Brown making two steals but conceding two fouls in the opening minutes.
But Brown was ultimately restricted to just 13 points on a frustrating night, against Tatum's 21, as Boston weathered a Philadelphia third-quarter comeback and rode to victory.
"No game is bigger than the other, definitely in the regular season, you know -- it's one game," said Tatum.
"The hoopla is over, and now we get all ready for tomorrow."
